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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. drill — army training
  7. bass — low music
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wax — to grow
  11. track — a path
  12. cap — a hat
  13. track — to keep track
  14. drill — the tool
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. drill — a practice
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cap — of ice
  23. track — a song
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com